TAYLOR COUNTY MUSEUM
The Taylor County Historical Society operates the Taylor County Museum located on Highway 2, west of Bedford, with all volunteer help. Visitors are welcome Tuesday through Sunday from l:00 pm to 5:00 pm, April 1 through December 24, open Monday by appointment only. If it’s been a while since you toured a museum, or even if you go often, don’t miss the great Taylor County Museum. New displays seem to appear often.
The museum has over 8,000 square feet of displays and over four acres of working exhibits. The operation is an effort to preserve the heritage of the past so young people can visualize the things that once were, and develop appreciation for things as they are now. The museum features hands on exhibits of an 1800's settler’s cabin, a one-room schoolhouse, a train station complete with caboose, a machine shed full of old farm machinery, a small replica of a Heritage Chapel (recently refurbished) and a fully restored l907 Lenox round barn. A genealogy library is also available.
While the round barn is a spectacular site and the Heritage Chapel has hosted many weddings, the one-room schoolhouse is the most popular exhibit. The kids love to see what schools used to be like. Several local teachers have brought classes to the one-room schoolhouse and conducted a day’s instructions, making the schoolhouse one of the most educational exhibits at the museum. The children can relate to this exhibit after a day of classes.
The Taylor County Museum is believed to be one of the largest and most active museums south of the Living History Farms in Des Moines, Iowa. And! With no admission fee, (donations are always appreciated) this historical destination becomes one of the most economical education adventures in Southwest Iowa.
We have received so many extraordinary compliments from visitors who reside in all areas of the United States and several foreign countries.
While you are here, please thank the volunteers who make it possible to keep this great place going.
To make special group meeting reservations, contact Mrs. Helen Janson at 712-537-2475 or 712-2041.
CONOCO WELCOME CENTER
Conoco - "Hottest Brand Going" - the slogan dating from the 1950's and one of the few still in use today. This National Historic Register former Conoco station, is a "hot spot" for Bedford and Iowa promotion and information. Little did the builders realize when they erected this unique Mission/Spanish Colonial Revival Style gas station in 1928 that it would one day almost die and then be restored to the beautiful and useful facility it is now. After ten years of planning, fundraising, volunteer and contractor restoration work it is now running not as a gas station, but as the Bedford Area Development Center.
Presently the station not only houses the offices, but includes tourist information, which will one day be located in the garage area which will be transformed into the Welcome Center and gas station history as well as gifts created by local crafters. The garage area will also provide meeting space for small gatherings.
Located on Highway 148 it provides an aesthetic entrance to the historic Victorian buildings on brick streets leading into the Bedford Main Street business district. When traveling in Southwest Iowa visitors can stop by this National Historic Register facility, be welcomed and get information about Bedford, Taylor County and Iowa, then shop Bedford’s antique and gift shops, enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants, tour the Taylor County Museum, the historic Courthouse and Garland Hotel and visit the nearby Lake of Three Fires State Park.
Make the Bedford Welcome Center your stop while traveling through scenic Southwest Iowa.
For more information, contact bedfordareadc@frontiernet.net or phone 712-523-3637 or check it out on the web at www.bedford-iowa.com.
TAYLOR COUNTY HARNESS RACES
If you are thrilled by the amazing speed and graceful beauty of a race horse, don’t miss the Iowa Harness Horsemen’s Association Racing at the Taylor County Fairgrounds on June 28, 2008. For additional information contact 712-523-3637.
Antique shops add grandeur to Bedford
Bedford, Iowa has many antique shops specializing in furniture, glassware, primitives, books, yard ornaments, pictures, pottery, Indian artifacts, brass and copper, china, tools and much, much more. Every one of our antique shops is exceptionally neat and clean and has a friendly sales person ready to assist you.
We are proud to have The Spinning Wheel Treasures Mall. Available items you will find there are spices in the bulk, a short order café and of course many unique antiques. Through The Years is another neat and clean shop specializing in furniture and glassware. You won’t want to miss Dottie’s Antiques where you will find an excellent collection of fine china and glassware. The Next Generation Unlimited buys, sells and trades antiques and has a consignment auction. Antiques Annex is another shop that is outstanding with their antiques and very special decor. Open Your World is a shop full of antiques and collectibles. While visiting Bedford, be sure to drop by Wiseman Furniture where you will find both old and new furniture along with antiques.
We also have some empty stores which are available to rent for antique shops, craft shops, gift shops, hobby shops, or any other shop you might be considering.
The citizens of Bedford take great pride in their very special antique shops!
LAKE PROVIDES FUN & RECREATION
Lake of Three Fires State Park
Welcome to Lake of Three Fires located in Taylor County, Southwest Iowa, three miles north of the historic city of Bedford.
A January 1937 edition of the Bedford Times Press explains a legend which determined the park’s name. According to legend, Pottawattamie Indians, one of seven tribes, once roamed the hills of Taylor County and were a large group of Indians known as "Fire Nation" or "those who make or keep a fire". Three of the seven tribes formed a confederacy known as "three fires". Legend claims they held a great council meeting atop the highest hill overlooking what is now the waters of Lake of Three Fires. Three fires were kept burning as long as the tribes were together. If any of the fires went out, it signified one of the tribes had vacated to continue on their own. This was also a signal to invaders that the defenses of the remaining tribes were weakened.
The Lake of Three Fires has been an important recreation area for well over half a century. It serves not only the residents of Iowa but also visitors from across the nation and foreign countries. Lake of Three Fires is an 85 acre lake, measuring a mile long and one-half mile wide. Nearly 700 acres of beautiful, scenic woodlands surround the lake. Eight miles of marked trails allow bikers, bicyclists and horse enthusiasts the chance to enjoy this historic park and its natural beauty. The trails are interwoven through mature woodlands and grasslands around the lake, provide excellent wildlife viewing, and can be enjoyed during any season of the year, with summer and fall being the most popular for visitors to the park.
For hunters, the Lake of Three Fires offers approximately 380 acres of upland game hunting. All types of game, including deer, turkey, pheasants and quail can be hunted on the 220 acres north of the park.
For a day of swimming, the sandy beach and cool lake water offer free swimming fun for everyone. New playgrounds and a sand volleyball court offer great fun for kids of all ages. There are two concrete boat ramps located in the park, offering boaters quick access to the water. Boat motors of any size are allowed on the lake at "no wake" speed.
In 2006 a new reservation system was initiated throughout the State of Iowa for all state parks. Cabins and half of the campsites can now be reserved up to a year in advance. Reservations can be made on line, www.reserveiaparks.com or by calling http://www.reserviaparks.com,
1-877-IAPARKS (427-2757). The remaining campsites are still on a first come, first serve basis, by self-registration at the campground.
The six modern cabins are equipped with a refrigerator, cook top stove, microwave, showers, restrooms and heating/air conditioning. The cabins are a great place for a weekend getaway or a family vacation, comfortably accommodating four people each. The cabins offer great lodging at an economical price, renting for $50 a night, requiring a minimum two-night rental. Reservations can be made online or by calling the toll free number. Renters must provide their own bedding, towels, dishes and cooking and camping items.
Lake of Three Fires is your place for fun and recreation!
BEDFORD HOUSE/GARLAND HOTEL
The Bedford House/Garland Hotel has celebrated 150 years of serving Bedford residents and records indicate over 150,000 guests have used the facility through these years. The Garland Hotel is one of the oldest structures in Bedford, built in 1857 and originally known as the Bedford House. It was a stop for traveling salesmen to showcase their wares and also provided apartments for downtown Bedford.
Local and visiting preservationists appreciate the architecture as well as the tales that surround the beautiful landmark. One of the attractions of the hotel is a secret room, which still remains, under the lobby staircase where slaves hid. The room connected to a nearby livery stable through a tunnel that was built under the street in front of the hotel for the convenience of travelers.
The hotel played a role in Civil War intrigue, the Jesse James era, and legend has it he stayed at the hotel the night of the famous train robbery near Anita, Iowa in 1873. Storytellers relate that Jesse James left his horse across the street in the livery stable, entered the tunnel to the "Bedford House", now the Garland Hotel, where he remained for a short time before emerging through the secret doorway under the staircase. He then climbed the spiral staircase to Room #7 where he ate dinner and stayed the night before continuing on to Missouri, his home state, the next day.
Renovation efforts have successfully brought the exterior of the hotel to vintage beauty and has caused great anticipation for the doors to open so everyone may see the interior beauty.
Future plans include opening a marketplace for artists, crafters, gifts and antiques in the former sitting room. An art gallery will showcase the work of local residents (current artists as well as those of the past.)
The Garland Hotel Society continues to receive donations for the interior restoration with the hope of opening the hotel to visitors in the very near future. The Garland Hotel will continue to be a Bedford landmark for years to come and will continue to tell the tales as we make the wish, "if only walls could talk- - -".
WELCOME TO MAIN STREET ALIVE
"Main Street Alive". This is a wonderful mini-theatre production coming June 8, 2008, and you can be there as some of Bedford’s ancestors "come alive" with the help of local actors. The stage is on the lawn of the courtyard , the backdrop is our beautiful courthouse and your lawn chair theatre seats nestle amidst the beautiful shade trees.
The cast will portray people from all walks of life; doctors, lawyers, artists, business owners, and even an unscrupulous person now and then. It is guaranteed to be entertaining and colorful.
The presentation is sponsored by Chamber/Mainstreet and the Taylor County Historical Society. Together they research Bedford’s history of characters, find script writers from our local pool of wanabe authors, and audition actors to tell the stories. The Thespians of Taylor County shine and every year the ancestors "come alive".
"Main Street Alive" and live music will afford an enjoyable Sunday afternoon in the comfort of your lawn chair on the lawn of the Taylor County Courthouse.
There is a small admission fee with all proceeds going to the Taylor County Historical Society.
BEDFORD IN BLOOM
May 17, 2008 Is the Day!
A trip to Bedford in May is a must for gardeners and lovers of irises. Bedford in Bloom is one of the area’s premier signature economic events that showcases a rural community’s spirit and love of gardening. The event is a partnership between city businesses, non-profits, and Rainbow Iris Farm, the seven acre iris nursery owned and operated by the Kenny Norris family.
Bedford in Bloom ties in traditional late May festivities and the open day of "Bloomfest"! At Rainbow Iris Farm into a family-oriented, daylong event. The event features the annual Red Brick Run, pancake breakfast, afternoon garden tours, and the town-wide garage sales. Rainbow Iris Farm will host a plant fair, garden seminars taught by Midwestern gardening experts, and guided walking tours of the production fields by Farm Manager, Kelly Norris. Bedford in Bloom attracts over 1,000 people to the community in search of good food, beautiful gardens, and seven acres of bearded irises.
The steering committee is looking forward to another successful festival in 2008. Under the leadership of local business owners, city leaders, and gardeners, the event hopes to capitalize on the successes of the last three years. May 17, 2008 is the date to mark on your calendars for the fourth annual Bedford in Bloom. We hope you and your gardening family will join us in celebration of Bedford in Bloom in 2008.
